The Gerontology Certificate positions students and professionals in the field to competently meet the needs of the growing aging population worldwide and engage ethically in a diverse workforce. Certificate completers will be empowered to enhance the lives of older adults in a changing environment as well as address related challenges in their local, state, national, and global communities.
The population aged 65 and older in the United States is expected to double from 46 million to 96 million by 2060 and the population aged 80 and over is expected to triple. In Wisconsin, a 72% increase in the population aged 65 and older is projected through 2040, with 18 counties having one-third or more of their total population in this age group. Older adults are staying in the workforce longer and, in rural places like WI, more older adults are aging in place as younger individuals move elsewhere. According to the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, “The demand for professionals with expertise in aging is growing rapidly…The field of gerontology and aging is very diverse, offering different employment opportunities… For example, many older persons are healthy and active. Persons working with these older people might be providing educational opportunities, recreation and leisure programs, and volunteer activities. Some older persons are frail and less active. Jobs which relate to these more vulnerable elders might be in long-term care, health care settings or agencies that deliver services to older persons. The relative newness of the field means that there are opportunities for innovative ideas, new programs and products.”
The Gerontology Certificate is relevant to a wide-range of careers and job titles interested in upskilling in this area. For current students, it is most applicable to those in the following undergraduate and graduate programs at UW-Stout: Applied Social Science, Business Administration, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation, Dietetics, Health, Wellness and Fitness, Healthcare Administration, Human Development and Family Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Rehabilitation Services.
References
Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education. (2019). Careers in aging. Retrieved from: https://www.aghe.org/resources/careers-in-aging
Mather, M. (2016). Fact sheet: Aging in the United States. Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved from: https://www.prb.org/aging-unitedstates-fact-sheet/ Wisconsin Department of Health
Services. (2019). Demographics of aging in Wisconsin. Retrieved from: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging/demographics.htm
Return to: